Avoirdupois Love
by Daaviiee
Summary: She wanted to have a better lifestyle since the pressure of society and peers got to her. She couldn't stay like this forever and expect to not have negative effects. He decided to help her, being the first to befriend her willingly, not caring how she looked. With his help, she somehow manages to catch the attention of another boy and she doesn't know who to choose. ItaxSakuraXSas
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**

**I always thought that there weren't enough stories of Sakura being…I don't know… normal? What I mean by that is that there should be a story of her representing an average teenage girl. In our society today, the majority of girls worry about their weight and are considered obese. **

**If Sakura is obese in the story, the author would make her lose weight quickly and have her dainty and petite in no time. What I wanted to do is to show the emotions that girls go through as they struggle with their weight, how long the process is to lose weight, the many times they feel like giving up or they had fallen and picked themselves up, and the sense of pride and accomplishment they receive from their perseverance.**

**I wanted to do that kind of story with the mix of romance and drama from modern life twisted into it. Like how we are today, I wanted to show how it is like for a girl. I hope that you can sympathize and relate to what I'm attempting to do.**

**Sasuke will be the same grade as Sakura, a sophmore, but Itachi will be a junior in this story. **

Avoirdupois Love

She walked quietly through the hall as she weaved through the mass of the school's population to get to her class on time. Her ash grey backpack slung across her right shoulder bumped up and down as she sauntered forward, her arms carrying a binder and a textbook. Her blue sweater covered the upper half of her body and she wore a pair of black tights. Her pink pastel hair was tied up in a messy bun, some strands coming out of its hairstyle to frame her face.

Her emerald eyes, the most exquisite feature, were focused on walking without bumping into anyone. Her pudgy face with its button nose was slightly red from the weight of her books. Her breathing was slightly getting labored and she cursed her class for being across campus. Her arms were getting tired from carrying the heavy books, but it was needed for her classes.

Just before the bell rang, she burst through the door gasping in exertion.

"Ah, Haruno, just in time," the silver-haired man greeted her. He swept his hand across the room. "Take a seat, please."

"Yes, Mr. Hatake," she nodded and plopped herself at a desk in front, but close to the window.

Sakura Haruno was just another girl who focused on her schoolwork. She wanted to keep up her grades and excel academically. She wasn't skinny, but she wasn't obese either – just a little on the bigger side. That didn't stop her to wear things she loved though. She had more fat around her stomach and legs, but she didn't worry that much.

Sometimes she would be insecure, but right now she was focused on school, not what people should expect of her. That was coming from a girl not pressured by peer pressure and society, yet.

The teacher droned on about history, how Konoha had come to be, the infamous Uchiha clan and Senju clan, etc. It seemed interminable to the class, including Sakura, but she dutifully scribbled down the information neatly on a piece of binder paper. A few students were captured in the realms of dreamland and others were furtively tapping away on their phones. Barely a few students similar to her were copying down what Kakashi Hatake was instructing to the class.

Soon enough the bell decided to end the teenagers' suffering and rang like angels singing from heaven. They jumped out of their seats, packing their stuff hastily, only for them to prepare for another class. Sakura, in the same manner, packed her stuff and walked out into the hallway of bustling flesh. Chatter resounded through the air as students discuss what happened in class or the latest rumor.

She walked through the crowd, being careful to not bump into. Unfortunately, that wasn't what some people did since a person knocked her over as they rushed by. She dropped her books from the force and the person quickly apologized before continuing on their way. She sighed and kneeled down, gathering her scattered items.

A pair of hands went to pick up the last book as her hands reached for it, handing it to her. Looking up from the length of the owner's arm, she saw a god-like handsome face. He had a sculpted face with high cheekbones, along with a sharp nose. His almond-shaped eyes were pitch-black that seemed to pierce through your very own soul. His lips were pursed in a tight line, not a smile or a frown. Bangs framed the side of his face as his hair was a raven color, but tinted with blue, that looked tousled as if he came out of bed.

He simply wore a black v-neck shirt that was not loose or tight under an unzipped leather jacket. He wore denim pants and a pair of black and white chucks. He resembled the perfect persona of a "bad boy" as one labels.

"Thank you," she muttered and took the book. He stared at her and nodded before leaving to his original destination. When she stood up, she noticed that some people were staring at her. When she returned their gaze they looked away and continued on as if nothing happened.

'Strange,' she thought, her brows furrowing as she thought about it.

Her next class was P.E, to her delight and dread. A bit hypocritical, yes, but she has some problems. She loved playing sports and running, but she felt embarrassed that she wasn't as fast as some of the girls. She disliked the mile because her mile time wasn't the fastest or the slowest.

She opened the doors to the women's locker room and was immediately greeted with half-dressed and some naked girls who swayed their hips in confidence. She went to her locker that was located in a secluded area and changed quickly. The girls took their time in dressing as they talked animatedly.

She wore a slightly large shirt with a pair of sweats and readjusted her bun to be more secure. Slipping on a pair of running shoes, she made her way to the field. Gazing around, she saw boys from her grade and upperclassmen lounging around. A group of juniors, most likely, were playing a game of football, some even taking their shirts off from the amount of sweat clinging to their body.

She watched in awe as one guy, the receiver, ran far as another, the quarterback, threw the football and the receiver jumped a few feet, catching the ball in his hands. His fingers tightly gripped the ball before his feet lightly touch the grassy field. His leg muscles tightened before he launched off, sprinting and dodging the many hands of those trying to tackle him down. Then he stopped and the guys on his team cheered, and Sakura concluded that it was a touchdown.

They pat him on the back, congratulating him for his swiftness and running that rivaled a track person. His fingers brushed his black locks backs, wiping the sweat off of his forehead and neck. He resembled the person that had assisted her earlier, but was taller and leaner. His hair was tied loosely by the nape of his neck. He smirked and waved them off, his breathing labored slightly.

A shrill whistle screeched in the air and the students gathered together. A man suited in a green jumpsuit with a black bowl cut that glinted in the sun grinned energetically. He held a clipboard in his hand with a whistle and stopwatch hanging on his neck.

"Alrighty, kids! It's that time of the month – no, not that one; that's for girls- where we do our monthly mile! Show how youthful you guys are!" he yelled out.

"Yes, Mr. Maito!" they yelled in unison.

Sakura mentally groaned at this unfortunate event and grudgingly followed the throng of people to the track. The girls sat in the bleachers since the guys were supposed to run first, much to their delight. She watched the guy who played receiver as he made his way to the edge, confusing many. Everyone knew that the closer to the first line you are, the smaller the amount you would have to run, yet here he was preparing to sprint.

He kneeled with one foot in front of him, but parallel to the other foot, which was behind him. He crouched with his fingertips barely touching the track's floor. Some students also from track mimicked the same position, so he must have been in track too. When Maito Gai blew his whistle again, they took that as a cue to run. The guy pushed himself with his legs and sprinted at timed pace so he wouldn't exhaust easily.

Surprisingly, the speed he was going was as if he was sprinting. He stayed at that speed, some trailing behind them, as he ran the mile. He didn't slow down, but sped up on the last few laps instead. Sakura didn't know why she was focused on this person, but he had caught her interest slightly.

Too quickly, every guy finished the mile and it was the females turn. She reluctantly climbed down from the bleachers and waited at the line. She nervously tried to calm her beating heart as other girls just groaned. Some people that were also from track or were taking it seriously waited patiently for the cue to start.

The whistle hurt her sensitive hearing, but she went at a jogging pace to not tire out. Some girls were just walking the mile, not caring about their grade. Halfway on the first lap, she was gasping for breath. She cursed herself for being out of shape and kept pushing forward. When she got past the bleachers, she saw multiples eyes staring at her.

"Run little piggy, run!" a boy called out and others started making pig noises.

Sakura clenched her teeth in frustration as she sped up a little faster. Tears pricked the side of her eyes, but it didn't fall since she blinked them away. She sped up little by little until she was on the last lap. Her legs were burning as the lactic acid was doings its job and her lungs were burning up as she was gasping for breath. It felt like the gravity had suddenly increased and she could barely trudge forward. As she rounded the curve, she saw the line and other girls resting.

'Just a little more,' she thought. She sped up her pace to sprinting, her chest heaving from the exertion. She pushed her legs to make larger strides and soon she crossed the finish line.

"10 minutes and 23 seconds, three minutes faster than your last time," the teacher said surprised. She gasped, but it just sounded like she was breathing for air. She was ecstatic from the news and did a mental dance. "Well, see you tomorrow, my youthful students. Don't forget to give your time to that student over there."

He pointed to the guy that held the clipboard and the same guy that Sakura was focusing on. She walked towards him and he glanced down at her. She realized that her head only reached his shoulder, and she was 5'5.

"Time?" his voice was smooth as silk as it flowed out to her ears, music to her ears. She ignored how her cheeks heated up again.

"10, 23," Sakura said and he waited again. She blushed, "Haruno Sakura."

He scribbled down the time next to her name and nodded. Before she left, he muttered words that she would always remember.

"Don't listen to them. You did fine."

Sakura smiled and nodded as she walked away.

**A/N:**

**I would have made it longer, but I am procrastinating on my studying. I have an exam tomorrow and I feel so joyous about it. I sooo can wing it. Please do not expect me to update quickly from my busy schedule, but I'll see what I can do. Review?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**

**I had six exams, three finals, and tests every single day. Oh, don't forget the load of homework that seemed to be the amount of a regular high school student's week load. From all of this, I lost my inspiration to write and all the ideas that I had. Let's see if this chapter is not boring at all. Thank you to all that reviewed or favored the story! I knew that you guys didn't isolate me.**

She opened the door to the locker room and was greeted with incessant, feminine chatter and giggles. Sakura didn't pay attention to the others as she changed back to her regular clothes. She felt so excited and happy that she beat her previous mile time. In her secluded changing area, she could hear girls whispering, more like yapping but trying to whisper, about another person.

"She's so like fat! Did you hear the guys making pig sounds at her?" one girl inquired.

"Of course, but it's the truth. Man, I could see her belly jiggling. She should fix that because it's really unattractive." Another stated.

"I bet you Sakura doesn't care even if she ends up having food stuck in one of her rolls. Who knows- I lost my donut recently." The first one said before they hollered in laughter at the joke.

Her heart plummeted as Sakura unintentionally eavesdropped on their conversation. Tears formed and slowly slid across her face, but she swiped at them quickly. She ran in front of a mirror and lifted up her sweater just below her chest. She attempted to console herself and checked her body.

A chilling realization smacked her right in the face as she observed her belly. Where her belly button was supposed to be was a crease replacing it; her stomach hanging slightly over her jeans. She dropped her sweater in haste as she felt worthless and insecure. She compared herself to the numerous girls in the school, including Ino, the fit and curvy female who did cheerleading and cross country.

Sakura discretely walked out of the room as the females switched to another topic: a guy named Uchiha Sasuke and his brother, Itachi. Her mind sailed to negative thoughts as she placed some of her belongings in her locker and taking the necessities for the next class. Closing her metal locker, she didn't notice a blur of yellow and orange streak past until it barreled into her. She fell and her items were sprawled around her.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go!" the whiskered-face blonde quickly stammered and ran off like lightning.

She bit her lip as to not cry out in frustration. It was like today just wasn't in her favor. She slowly grabbed her scattered textbooks and loose papers when a familiar pale hand helped her. She stood to her full height as the boy handed her belongings to the pink-haired girl.

"Thank you…" she paused to allow him to introduce himself.

"Just don't repeat it," he arched an eyebrow and walked away, the same direction that the person who knocked her ran to who knows where.

Sakura stared at the raven-haired male until he disappeared around a corner, crashes and something or someone slamming into a locker was heard. She winced in sympathy for the one who was receiving the painful treatment.

It was lunch time after her boring class of Chemistry with Orochimaru, who did not perceive that the class was half asleep. Sakura had been too preoccupied with the females' words echoing in her mind, over and over again.

"_She's so like fat!"_

"_Who knows -I lost my donut recently."_

She saw hundreds of students sitting at the tables with food in front of them as they chattered away with their peers. She walked to an isolated table, purposefully not getting the cafeteria food that she would usually obtain.

'_You ate enough today. If you eat more, you will get fatter,'_ she tried to convince herself, but her growling stomach did not agree with her thoughts. To distract herself from the rumbling beast that shook her stomach by the minute, she began doing her homework. Every few minutes or so, her body would remind her that it needed nutrients to sustain their body, but she ignored its warnings.

At the end of the day, Sakura felt exhausted for the first time; not from the homework load or school, but because of her not feeding her body the necessary calories. She trudged to her locker, congratulating herself for finishing her homework due tomorrow since she didn't have the energy to do it if she didn't, and placed all her supplies in there. When she closed the door, a strikingly familiar face replaced the vacant area behind her locker door.

Sakura almost reprimanded the male, but she realized it was not the anonymous person who helped her. He observed her in a quiet, but calculating manner.

"Yes?" she questioned as the silence continued.

"Itachi," he stated.

He looked at her again before grabbing her hands and giving her a hard object. Without looking back, he bid goodbye and walked away, similarly to the first boy. Looking down, her hands clutched around a red, shiny apple with a note attached to its brown stem.

Picking up the note, she read:

'_It's not worth starving yourself.'_

_-I.U._

* * *

A gasp escaped from her lips as she finished reading the note Itachi gave her. Staring at it with gratitude, she placed it in her pocket carefully as to not make any creases. Sakura smiled at the apple she held in her hand, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes. His endearment had really affected her, but how did he know that she wasn't eating?

She had never seen him before, well, paid any attention to anyone other than her homework. She made a conclusion that he must have known how she was treated, or had a sixth sense for people's actions. Nodding her head from the theory, she gingerly took a bite from the apple as she walked down the sidewalk to her home.

The juices filled her mouth and her stomach rumbled in appreciation, thanking her for finally feeding it. Sakura felt ashamed for believing that starving herself would make her lose all the weight. That was the worst possible way for going on a "diet."

'_That's it. I'm sick of people calling me fat. I'm going to lose weight and I'm going to do it right,'_ she thought with such determination that it rivaled an Olympic athlete.

Her mother dropped her off school, so why can't she walk to school instead? She walks home every day, so that could make a slight difference. The house was not close, but still near enough that she could make it to the school in fifteen minutes. She was going to make this a permanent lifestyle and she was going to love herself.

Unlocking the door to her house, she entered through the one-story building and took off her shoes. She strolled to the kitchen with determination and glee, but the feelings instantly simmered when she saw a note from her mother.

'_Sorry, doing overtime again, but love you!"_

_Mommy_

Her pink-haired head thumped against the fridge; her lips parted in a melodramatic sigh. Hearing a tapping of claws, she turned her head to peer at a fur ball of black and auburn scrambling their way to her direction. Dropping down to her knees, she greeted her Pomeranian, Pudgy.

'_How ironic,' _she smirked, _'Pudgy just like her owner_._'_

Sakura placed a bowl of dog food on the floor and Pudgy immediately attacked it. Thinking of her new choice, she brought out ingredients for her dinner. Her hands quickly chopped the mushrooms with the speed learned from years of cutting and placed them on top of the already cooking eggs. Flipping it into a half-circle, she waited for the side to become a rich, golden color.

Once she deemed it done, she placed it onto a plate and grabbed a fork, setting the plate on the table. Her dog lied down below her feet as she sat at the furniture piece. The smell of the mushroom omelet wafted through her nostrils and her mouth salivated at the chance to eat the delicious-looking food.

Taking the first bite, she moaned at the rich taste that assaulted her taste buds and she soon realized she was going for more. Soon enough, the two-egg, mushroom omelet filled up her stomach despite its average size. She cleaned the kitchen and dining area before making her way to her room.

Grabbing a pencil and notebook, she sat at her desk with a concentrated expression. What was necessary for weight loss? She had to invest in fitness clothes, or just loose clothes she could exercise in, so she scribbled away on the paper. Her mother would occasionally bring back fast food, believing that she didn't eat and bought snack food on grocery shopping.

'_That would have to change,'_ she frowned before writing it down also.

Sakura slapped her forehead for forgetting the most important thing: exercise! She gets exercise in P.E., but she knew that she needed to get her heart rate pumping if she wanted to be fit. She decided that she'll wake up early in the morning to run and maybe even do it at night if she has time. She was definitely sure she was going to exercise on the weekend.

Her class schedule was a bit vacant since she had taken some necessary classes over the summer and middle school, so she could probably fill her free periods with another physical education class. Realizing that it was only the third month in the school year, she could join any class she wanted, unless they were full.

Going on the school's website, she discovered many classes were still available to partake in. From swimming to track, she saw a variety of which was difficult to choose from. Sakura decided for weight training and dance for her classes to replace her free ones. She also found many athletic clubs to her liking. She decided after a long debate that she would join track.

She knew that she wasn't the fastest out of all the people in her P.E. class, but she could work up to it. That's what track was for: they help you get faster in speed and many other things. After a long period of thinking, she realized that it was 10:30 P.M. because her mother had arrived home at her regular time.

Sakura thanked whoever that it was Friday and not a school night. Her mom popped her head in and smiled lovingly, but tiredly.

"Hey, baby," she greeted and flicked away a lock of hair that obscured her view. "I'm going to sleep now because I'm doing overtime tomorrow too, okay? Love you."

She gave the pink-haired girl a kiss on the forehead and a bone-crushing hug before she retired for the night. Sakura yawned and thought she should do the same. Before lying down to get some eye shut, she put an alarm to wake her up early. Giving a huge glomp to her dog, who didn't appreciate the huge body mass disturbing her, she turned off the light and dozed away in dreamland.

* * *

A series of shrilled beeps disrupted her from her slumber, and she cursed under her breath as she shot up from bed. She glared at her phone for waking her up and she shut off the alarm, sighing in relief that it was quiet again. Why did she wake up early again? On a weekend, for crying out loud?!

Then yesterday's memories came rushing back at her and she clutched her chest to prevent a sob to come out. She replayed the vicious words that were spilled from another peer's mouth, already feeling insecurity wrap around her.

'_No!'_ she yelled in her mind. She was not going allow a petty comment destroy her whole being. She was made stronger than that and she was not going to wallow in despair. She is going to change for the better and show who's the boss.

After she had freshened up, she tied up her hair and wore a white v-neck with a pair of grey baggy sweats. She snacked on a banana and drank some water for a pre-workout/run. She put on her pair of black converse and put more food in the dog bowl before leaving with her phone, earphones, and keys.

Taking a brisk jogging pace, she paced herself while nodding to the beat of some Lindsey Stirling song. Five minutes past and she felt her legs burning slightly, but she took that as a sign to increase her speed. Her breathing was becoming labored and she swung around the pole that signaled the curve for a block. Using that as momentum, she rocketed herself around the bend of the corner, not noticing the other figure going at even a faster speed than her around the block.

In an impact of flesh and flailing body appendages, Sakura fell upon the other human being and had brought them down with her. Before they collided onto the cement sidewalk, the person twisted both their bodies and cushioned her with his or her body. With a grunt, they both fell on the ground, too dazed to comprehend what just happened.

"You fall a lot, don't you?" a husky, but smooth voice penetrated her reverie and she looked down to see an amused Itachi.

"I'm so sorry!" she hastily stood up and he allowed himself to stand also.

"It's no problem," he said as he dusted off the debris from the fall.

"I didn't see where I was going as I was running," Sakura bit her lip in embarrassment. She was panting from the unusual speed she set herself and her limbs slightly trembled from the sudden pause of equilibrium. She saw that he also wore fitness clothes and a pair of running shoes.

"Ah," he nodded and started jogging the same direction he came from.

She frowned, hurt that he didn't even give her goodbye and was returning home from the event.

"Aren't you coming?" he called back as he slowed down waiting for her answer.

"Oh, um, yes," she raced to him and they both settled in a state of silence aside from Sakura's labored breathing and Itachi's deep inhales and exhales.

Itachi went at a slow enough speed that she could keep up with him, but was still a challenge for her. She felt sweat falling down from the corner of her brow down to her neck as she continued the same pace. He didn't seem to be affected by it and she believed that he does this constantly.

* * *

Not realizing how much time had passed over the burning leg muscles and tightening lungs, they had stopped at a little coffee shop in the market place. It was barely bustling since the market had barely opened, but it looked joyful and lively.

Itachi held the door open for her and she muttered a genuine thanks. They sat at a booth and a waiter immediately came.

"Ah, Itachi, the usual?" he questioned and Itachi nodded. "And who might this fine young lady be?"

"An acquaintance," Itachi answered, glancing at Sakura who blushed at the compliment after all the thoughts she had yesterday.

"Now what can I get for ya?" he asked.

She scanned through the menu and decided on something light since she was returning home soon.

"May I please get a green tea and a french toast with fruit? Thank you," she gave a dazzling smile and the waiter was dazed at her beauty, which she was oblivious to of course.

"Right away, darling," he smiled charmingly and walked away.

"I believe he was interested," Itachi mentioned as their drinks came.

"I wasn't imagining things, so you must be hallucinating, sir," Sakura arched her eyebrow and smirked over the rim of her cup.

"Hn," he shrugged and copied her actions. They ate in silence as Sakura realized that everyone, workers specifically, knew Itachi. She didn't know why she just came with Itachi to the café. Maybe it was because she felt embarrassed about their collision early.

Their waiter as if sensing their finality came by and slid Sakura a napkin for some reason.

"It's on the house this time," he winked and walked away to attend to other customers.

Sakura flipped the napkin, but didn't see anything. Itachi coughed to get her attention and took the napkin and unfolded it. Scrawled in the inside of the napkin was a ten-digit number and note from the waiter.

'_Come back anytime and you're pretty.'_

_Rin_

"You were saying earlier?" Itachi looked at her with a smirk.

"Shut up," she slapped his shoulder lightly, not thinking about how familiar the action was.

Little did she know they would become more familiar with each other as the days passed.

**A.N: **

**I'm sorry! I would have made it longer, but alas I barely have inspiration. I hope you can accept my apology.**

**Davie**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**

**I am really sorry for the long, long MIA status. It's difficult to go to a high school while taking college classes too. I hope this makes up for it.**

"It's still early for a Saturday," Sakura noted as they exited the café. It was only 10 A.M. and she was still walking with Itachi at the moment.

"I assume that you have nothing important to do today?" he glanced down at her while they strolled to god-knows-where. She nodded, slightly blushing that she didn't have friends to hang out with on the weekends. "You wouldn't mind accompanying me today, would you?"

"Ah, no it would be a pleasure to spend time with you, Sir," she quipped, even adding a curtsie-like move.

"Well, Miss," he turned to her and bowed, extending his hand in a offer, which she took, "I'm thankful for your presence."

They looked at each other for a second to gauge the person's reaction before Sakura broke the moment with a series of laughs. Itachi straightened his posture and released a few chuckles himself.

"I'm planning to take an additional class to add to my schedule," she stated. "I'm rather indecisive between track and weight training, or both. Although, I have three periods since I completed my necessities already."

"Take both," he suggested. She looked at him in confusion, slightly cocking her head, which he took notice to explain further. "Track is beneficial for the cardio needed in exercising, but it's also fun and competitive. With cardio, you need the muscles and precautions to decrease the possibilities of getting an injury.

"That's where weight training comes in. Weight training strengthens the muscles and increases your balance while also boosting your metabolism. That's how many people achieve a fit and toned figure," Itachi finished.

"….That's the most I have ever heard from you," she smiled innocently while he sent her a glare, "I see your point, so it's decided – I'll take both classes, so thank you for the advice."

He paused hesitantly, "Are you doing all this because of someone's opinion about you?"

Her eyes widened at his assumption, which had hit right on the nail. She thought she wasn't that obvious with the impulse of beginning to exercise and changing her diet. She mulled over what to say, nervously wringing her hands.

"I've gotten bigger from puberty, which everyone goes through, when middle school began. I noticed it, of course, but I didn't take any action. Then, I heard those boys making those inappropriate noises while I ran pass them that day. In the locker room, I heard the girls' opinions of me and my size, which was very negative and insulting," Sakura stared in front of her, a frown marring her face. "That's when I decided to do something. I want to change for the better, become faster, become skinnier and have muscles along with the strength. That's why I was running this morning and quite literally bumped into you."

"I see," Itachi nodded in understanding. "I just want you to take in consideration of my advice: do it for yourself, no others."

"I pink promise," she stuck out her pinky towards him. He stared at her weirdly. "What? That way I promise and I can't break it."

He shrugged and wrapped his long finger around hers and made a motion of a handshake before he removed his appendage. They continued on their path, enjoying each other's company and the environment. They entered a nice neighborhood before stopping at a two-story house equipped with a patio and a beautiful front yard.

The raven-haired teen unlocked the door with his key while she wondered why he brought her to his house. She automatically took off her shoes and felt awkward since she felt misplaces. She was sweaty and probably smelled unpleasant while she was in a tidy, spotless house. He motioned her to sit on a white couch before descending up the stairs, resulting in her to doubt her presence here along with the possibility of dirtying the furniture.

"You won't," he called out as if reading her mind and she relaxed slightly, "and no one's home, so don't worry. I'll be done in ten minutes."

She sat there until she heard footsteps from the stairway. Itachi entered the living room wearing a white v-neck and denim jeans. His black and white converse gleamed in the sunlight that was filtering through a window and he plucked a pair of keys from a glass bowl. They exited the house, Itachi locking up after, and sat in his Audi. Sakura stared in awe at his car because she knew about car brands and had a slight liking to them.

"Where do you live?" Itachi asked as he reversed out the driveway. She rattled out her address, realizing that she didn't live too far away, and soon they arrived at the location. "Freshen up."

She nodded while he took a seat at the dining table. While refreshing herself from a quick shower and change of clothes, many questions filtered in her mind.

'_Where's he taking me? He's not asking me out for a date is he? No, that's not it. Maybe he has an errand and wants me to go with him,'_ she thought. Sakura exited her room with her messenger bag and her water bottle to keep her hydrated. She wore a loose, blue button-up shirt and tan shorts. Blue and gold gladiators adorned her feet and she tied up her hair in a ponytail with her bangs framing her face.

"So, where are we going?" she questioned him as they drove off again.

"You'll see," he answered, clearly ending the conversation of the location they were going to.

30 minutes passed and she was bored out of her mind from no talking. She pulled out her ipod and saw an aux plug. She glanced at the other teen for permission, earning a nod before plugging the cord to her device. A song filled with upbeat violin music filtered through the speakers and Sakura immediately began drumming her fingers to the beat.

"Lindsey Stirling," Itachi nodded in approval as they listened to the music. An hour passed before they stopped and parked in front of an outlet.

"I've never been here before," Sakura admitted as she observed the bustling outlet; she was awed by the building's design. Thank god she brought her wallet because she was going to buy a few things here. They entered Nike and were instantly greeted by an employee.

"Hi, my name is Karin and if you need any help, you can come to me," a red-haired woman grinned, eyes roaming over Itachi's clothed form. She brushed her bangs away and bit her lip in a flirtatious manner. Itachi nodded and walked away with Sakura in tow.

"You should get some fitness clothes since you'll be doing a lot of exercise," he advised and left to the shoes section.

She immediately browsed through the racks, searching for the best clothing suitable for her. She picked out two sports bras, since she had a few at home already, three track shorts, and a jacket for colder weather. She held the clothing in her hands and walked to Itachi's location. She soon spotted him and stood next to him as he held a pair of shoes in his hand.

"What is your shoe size?" he asked while looking through the shoe sizes and grabbed a size ten in men.

"Eight, why?" Sakura questioned him as he nodded and grabbed a box of shoes similar to his own, but just smaller.

"To run you need the proper shoes," he said and handed it to her. "Are you done?"

She nodded and they both made their way to the cash register. Karin ushered them to her direction with a wave of her hand. She scanned Sakura's items first and the pink-haired girl paid for it; then she waited for Itachi. After getting through his items, Karin scribbled something on the back of his receipt before handing it to him.

"Come back any time!" she called out as the duo exited the store. As they got out, he crumpled the receipt and threw it away.

"Why'd you do that?" Sakura asked confused by his actions.

"Her number," he simply answered.

"Oh, okay,.' She nodded and saw Barnes&Nobles," Wait, I want a new book."

He trailed after her and sat at a table near the store's Starbucks as he waited for her. After a long period of time, she returned with a plastic bag of books.

"I thought you wanted one?" he smirked.

"I couldn't decide, so I got all of them," she shrugged and her stomach took that as a cue to growl at her companion while he stared amusingly. "I guess it's lunch time!"

They sauntered to the food court and ordered their meals. Itachi ordered them shrimp tacos that had tomatoes, lettuce, cheddar cheese, and some avocado to substitute for the cream cheese. She thanked him and they sat at a table to eat. Itachi and Sakura returned to the car as they made their return to home. She fell asleep in the car, but Itachi didn't mind. It was slightly dark as they moon was out already. He gently nudged her awake and walked her to her doorstep.

"Thank you for today, Itachi," Sakura smiled genuinely.

This was the first time that she spent a day with a person at school. She wondered if they were friends now, but she just mentally shrugged.

"No problem and I'll see you tomorrow," he bid goodbye and walked away only for Sakura to stop him.

"What do you mean 'I'll see you tomorrow'?"

"For our morning run, of course," Itachi smirked before finally leaving an astounded Sakura on her own doorstep.

'_Huh,'_ she thought after she shook off her daze.

* * *

The next day, their morning run was identical to yesterday's. They went at the same pace, but they ran longer. To say Sakura was tired was an understatement. She was dead-exhausted to the point of fainting and her legs felt like they were on fire. Her breathing resembled as if she sprinted a whole mile when it was windy too. Sweat made her clothes cling to her skin and her feet burned from constantly running. Her earbuds kept slipping out of her ears and her ipod that was strapped to her arm caused a unnecessary amount of sweat in one spot. The fortunate part though was she kept up with Itachi without slowing down and having breaks.

Itachi looked labored too, but not as bad as her though. She glared resentfully while he gave her a smirk. Sweat trailed from the side of his head and fell from his chin and he had sweat showing on his clothes too. The only reason they stopped was because Itachi always stopped at the park and completed a few exercised. She copied him in her routine, leaving her more exhausted and sore than before. She ended her workout with stretching to cool down.

He walked her home before heading to his own. On Monday morning, Sakura woke up sore everywhere and she silently cursed her workout partner. How did he expect her to do this every other day? As she finished dressing up for the morning run, the doorbell rang. She slipped on her running shoes and grabbed her ipod and keys before locking the door while Itachi leaned against the wall.

He explained that on weekdays they run for a hour and return home to get ready for school. Thus, she woke up at 6 A.M. and got ready at 7:20 A.M. Luckily, school started at 8:30 A.M., giving her plenty of time to prepare for the day. They completed their soon-to-be routine and got ready for school. Thankfully, track was only on Fridays and weight training was on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Sakura was excited, but also nervous for her first day in weight training. She had asked to be entered in the classes yesterday and was approved by the principal.

She wore a pair of denim shorts and a white v-neck. Covering her eyes were aviators like the one which bikers wear and she wore black open-toed sandals. She packed food for lunch and had it in her backpack. On her shoulder was a fitness bag filled with her workout clothes and shoes. She walked to school and the place was packed with students. As she walked to her locker, two guys ran past her; one of them was the same person that bumped into her. She fell again and the people present laughed at her. Her face reddened in embarrassment when a pale hand appeared in front of her.

Sakura lifted herself up with the aid of another student and looked at them.

"You fall a lot, don't you?" the person asked, giving her a sense of déjà-vu. To even complete it, the person looked like Itachi.

"You know since you're always here when I fall, I think I should know your name," Sakura said with an eyebrow raised.

"Hn," the person grunted, jamming his hands in his pockets, "Sasuke."

"Sakura," she responded.

"I have a few classes with you," he stated.

"Really? I don't usually notice other people."

"History and Pre-Calculus," he listed.

"Oh, I see. Well, I'll be sure to give you a hello when I see you again," Sakura smiled and he nodded before walking away.

The classes passed by quickly and it was soon P.E. She jumped out of her seat in haste when the bell rang, excited to see her new friend again. She changed her clothes to her workout clothes and exited her locker room before she could accidentally overhear another conversation.

She spotted Itachi sitting on the bleachers with a few juniors and waved at him when he noticed her. He didn't wave, but beckoned her to come. She nervously sauntered towards him and the other juniors noticed her arrival.

"Oh, ho!" a tall boy with skin tinted blue and navy spiky hair exclaimed. He was very tall, taller than Itachi she notice, since Itachi looked to be 6'2 if she stood next to the raven-haird teen. "Wow, who is this lady? Is it your girlfriend, Weasel boy?"

"Hey, aren't you a sophomore?" a blonde that looked like Ino's identical sibling asked. She would have mistaken him as a female if it wasn't for the lack of feminine qualities and he had a deep voice.

"Pink and green? Hmm..interesting combination," a red-haired teen next to the blonde stared at her in interest.

"Sakura Haruno, sophomore and _friend_," Itachi emphasized the 'friend' while glaring at the first teen to talk.

"Kisame, my beautiful," the blue-haired teen grinned in a supposed shark-like way.

"Deidara," the blonde saluted her.

"Sasori," the red-head nodded.

"I heard from Weasel here you're joining track," Kisame said and Itachi kicked him off the bench.

"Oh," Sakura blushed since Itachi was talking about her. "Yeah, I wanted something to occupy me on my free period. So, what's better than track and weight training?"

"Hey, we're all in track, yeah!" Deidara grinned happily, "and Bruce here is also in weight training with you."

"Great, now I won't look like a total dork with no one to talk too," Sakura smiled.

"But you are a dork and you know you're pretty short," Kisame had a look as if he was thinking.

"Well, some of us can't achieve the Avatar look," Sakura bit back. "You're just missing the tail, ears, and facial structure, but you're exactly like them."

"Kitty got claws. Meow," Kisame smirked and everyone laughed. They heard a whistle and went towards their teacher.

"Today, youthful students, we will do a fun activity today. Basketball! Before we get to that, let's do our exercises."

After the class completed their exercises, they were split into four teams: two boy teams and two girl teams. They would compete against each other (girlvsgirl and guyvsguy) for the first round. When each team has won, the winning teams will go against each other.

Sakura was chosen to do the start-off against a girl named Ami. She stood in the circle opposite of Ami, who was preparing to jump. Gai held the ball waiting to throw it up and start the game. The guys already started their game across from them indicated by the yells and shoes squeaking.

"So, I see you acquainted yourself with Itachi and the other juniors," Ami began.

"Yeah, they're cool," Sakura shrugged, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.

"Just to let you know – Itachi is off-limits. He's mine," as she that Ami jumped in the air, catching Sakura off guard and slapped the basketball towards her own teammates.

Sakura cursed herself for getting distracted and ran towards the girl who had the ball. She jumped to block the ball, only for the girl to feint and pass it to Ami, which she shot and scored a 3-pointer. Ami's team cheered while Sakura's team groaned. They started the game and when they it halfway, a person threw the ball to Sakura. She ran while dribbling the ball, but Ami block her and Sakura was trying to find a way around her.

"Aww, is someone mad they can't get something they want," Ami taunted and Sakura understood her double meaning.

"Why when I already have what I want," Sakura smirked while Ami growled.

Sakura pretended to shoot, causing her opponent to jump. Taking the advantage, Sakura spun in a 360˚ twirl around her while Ami was coming down and shot a 3-pointer. It bounced against the backboard and fell in the net. This time it was Sakura's team to cheer.

After that it was a war between the two teams to show which team was better. Each person scored a shot and they were not in a tie. Currently, Sakura was trying to block Ami from shooting and winning the game.

"Why bother when you know I'm going to win?" Ami boasted, watching critically for any sudden movement.

"Don't be so sure," Sakura pointed out.

"A person like you can never be like me or beat me. You're short, geeky, weird-looking," she listed off, "and fat!"

As she said those last few words, she prepared to shoot another 3-pointer to break the tie and win the game. Sakura put all her power to spring up, angered by Ami's insults who she barely knows. The ball left Ami's fingertips only to be snatched away by a pair of hands. Sakura landed on the tip of her feet before landing and sprinted to the opposite side, surprising everyone. With everyone a good distance away, she made her own 3-pointer.

Every one watched with their breaths hitched in their chests as the basketball soared through the air and into the net, nothing but _net_. Every person on the court was silent before Sakura's team cheered wildly. Ami, not taking this well, was cursing up a storm, which resulted in her running 20 laps around the field.

The boys' game wasn't finished yet, so Sakura's team watched at the side. Kisame used his height to his advantage and tossed the ball to Itachi, who ran to the opposite court and used his speed as an advantage. He weaved through his opponents, spinning and dodging through them like a snake. When he neared the net, he jumped up and pushed the ball in and held onto the rim of the net before falling to the ground. Kisame yelled triumphantly and slapped Itachi on the back. Deidara screamed in defeat, dramatically falling onto his knees and weeping while Sasori clutched his nose with two fingers and shoot his head in frustration.

That's when Sakura realized that she was going against Itachi.

'_Damn it,'_ she thought in defeat.

This will end up very badly, she assumed. Her team chose her again to go against the other guy in the start-off, for some apparent reason. Bad choice since Kisame was chosen. _'Damn it again!'_ she cursed in her mind; she had to make a plan to not lose badly.

"Hey, Pipsqueak!" Kisame swung her around and she felt nauseous from the dizziness before he placed her down.

"How's the sky, Sasquatch?" she teased back.

"Very fine, although a few birds keep hitting me," he said nonchalantly.

"Earth is pretty down here too! Hey, can you tie my shoe, please with a cherry on top?" Sakura asked, noticing that Gai was going to begin.

"Since you asked so nicely - hey!" Kisame said when he kneeled on one knee, only for Sakura to choose that moment to hop on his knee and use him as leverage to jump and hit the basketball to her teammate.

A roar of protest erupted from the guys as they realized Kisame had been deceived. They recovered quickly when they saw the girls sprinting to score. Before they could block, a girl shot the ball and it went it.

"Point for girls," Gai said.

Tension was thickening when the guys learned how serious the game was. It soon ended up with the girls winning with 17-15. Sakura was blocking Itachi since this shot would count for a tie or a win. They stared at each other in silence, waiting for the other make a move.

"Sorry, Sakura," Itachi apologize looking very sincere before he twisted around her.

Everything was slow motion when Sakura noticed him breathing down her neck; she faintly felt his chest against her back and head before he finished turning and shot a 3-pointer successfully. It was 17-18 now and the guys won. Sakura was shocked at how they earned the points, but laughed at the outcome. Sakura walked to the women's locker room and took a quick shower. She dressed into her clothes and made her way to a bustling cafeteria. She spotted an empty table and unknowingly walked past Ami to get to it, who stuck her foot out and tripped Sakura.

She had almost face-planted, but a pair of arms caught her and she straightened up.

"Really? Now I think you're doing this on purpose," the person said.

"Shut up, Sasuke," she glared and stuck out her tongue.

People watched with baited breath to see what Sasuke would do to someone who disrespected him. They all gaped in surprised when he chuckled slightly and ruffled her hair before walking away. She continued towards the table and sat down only for a pair of hands to cover her eyes.

"Who is it that's awesome, handsomer than Itachi, and funnier than Sasori?" the person covering her eyes asked.

"Kisame, duh," she smirked when the person gasped in mock horror and pain.

"It's Deidara, yeah!" the blonde pouted and plopped down to her right.

"Your humor is just like cafeteria food – crap," Sasori inputted and sat to her left.

"Itachi is like chick magnet everywhere while you, on the other hand, are a girl," Kisame said and sat in front of her followed by Itachi.

"Hn," Itachi agreed somewhat with a shrug.

"Well, hello, my slaves," Sakura greeted them evilly.

"Your wish is my command," Itachi mocked and everyone laughed.

Sakura pulled out a medium-sized container and popped open the lid. Neatly organized were a chicken quesadilla filled with vegetables, a cut apple with a rubber band to hold it together and not to ripen, a little bowl of peanut butter, and almonds.

"Care to share?" Deidara asked, reaching out for the food when she slapped his hand away.

"Nope! Get your own," she shook her hand and began to eat while Deidara held his injured hand and grumbled.

Lunch went by quickly and the night found Sakura finishing up her homework. Her phone went off, which alerted her to a text message.

"_Get enough sleep," Itachi Uchiha sent._

"_How did you end up in my contacts?" _

"_When you fell asleep in my car."_

"_Oh, well goodnight."_

"_Goodnight to you too."_


End file.
